Everyone reached a consensus on sending a national-level leader to preside over this battle in the Western Conference, but who should I send? At present, the Communist Party of China in the DPRK has left and right prime ministers and three officials. Zhao Bing served as the Privy Councilor, and the deputy envoy Han Zhen was barely included in it. However, he was naturally not considered, and the remaining five became candidates.

In addition to Liu Fu, these five prime ministers had more or less experience in leading the army. Lu Xiufu was a staff member of Li Tingzhi at the beginning of his tenure and assisted him in handling military affairs. Because he was meticulous, organized and unpretentious, he was deeply trusted by Li Tingzhi and recommended him to enter the court. Later, Lu Xiufu served as the right prime minister as the deputy envoy of the Privy Councilor to coordinate various departments and command the army to fight. He did not step down until after Qiong.

The right prime minister Wen Tianxiang led the army to recruit troops to support the king when the country was destroyed, but the time was extremely short. His military experience came more from the period when he took the initiative to leave Xingchao and resisted the Yuan Dynasty during the Jiannan Kaifu. Although he eventually had strong enemies outside and no support inside, his difficult life in leading troops alone also gave him training. Later, in the battle to recover Jiangnan, he was responsible for leading and coordinating the rebels of Huguang and commanding the imperial guards to recover Jiangxi.

Ying Jieyan himself is a legend. He was a civil and military jinshi. He served as an aide in charge of military intelligence in the Lianghuai Department. He also organized and directed battles. He also served as an official at the local and central government levels. After the establishment of the General Administration, he became an important aide to Zhao Bing as a royal division, and he also presided over the military and political affairs of the General Administration. He had great prestige among the civil and military officials in the court. However, he had been in Qiongzhou for more than many years and had done behind the scenes work, and he was a rare person in front of commanding the battle.

Jiang Yan should be the most experienced in military experience among the several priests. He followed his uncle Jiang Wanzai to form a rebel army to fight against the Yuan Dynasty since he was a child, starting from the grassroots officer to leading the army alone. He also engaged in military work during the early establishment of the General Administration and made great contributions to the establishment and training of the General Administration. Zhao Bing's military knowledge also came from his professors, and of course, as an imperial teacher, he was also deeply trusted by him.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to preside over the battle to the west!" Just as Zhao Bing weighed the pros and cons, Ying Jieyan stood up and bowed and asked for his orders.

"No!" Zhao Bing rejected it without thinking. The old man is in his seventies and he still has to take charge of the battle. How can he bear it!

"Your Majesty, although I am old, I can still share your worries." Ying Jieyan asked again.

"Mr. Ambition is better than Lian Po and brave as Huang Hansheng. I am most at ease with Mr. Presided over the Western Expedition by Mr., but after all, time is not forgiving others, I..." Zhao Bing stood up to support him and asked Ying Jieyan to sit down. He wanted to explain a few words, but before he finished speaking, he was already choking and unable to say anything.

"Your Majesty, don't be sad. The ancients were not afraid of horses and corpses. What's the point of fear? It's better to die safely on the bed!" Seeing the little emperor being moved, Ying Jieyan's eyes turned red, but he still comforted him with a smile on his face.

"Even if I personally conquer Xichuan, I will never let my husband go for a thousand miles in his seventies, otherwise my conscience will be uneasy!" Zhao Bing took a sip of tea, stabilized his emotions, and said resolutely.

"His Majesty……"

"You should know, don't say anything anymore. I'm determined!" Zhao Bing saw that he wanted to say something, and waved his hand to take the lead.

"Who is your Majesty thinking that presides over the Western Expedition?" Liu Fu had already felt the attitude of the young emperor. In order to avoid the two of them arguing again, he took over the conversation.

"What do you think Governor Jiang is doing?" Zhao Bing sat down again and said.

"Governor Jiang was in his old age, and he was familiar with military affairs, and was familiar with officials from Huguang. He was indeed a good candidate!" Liu Fu nodded and said.

"No." As soon as Liu Fu finished speaking, Yingjieyan rejected it.

"You should know the matter and not avoid relatives when you select the wise. Besides, Jiang Yu is an imperial teacher and an important official of the country. What's wrong with fighting for the country?" Liu Fu frowned and said.

"You can not avoid relatives when you select a virtuous person, but you must avoid suspicion, otherwise you will harm Zong Bao and ruin Your Majesty's plan!" Ying Jieyan said anxiously with his fingers and knocked the case.

"Well! Yes, Jiang Jin is now in charge of the military and political affairs of Huguang. If he transfers Zong Bao to preside over the Western Expedition, although it is beneficial to the Western Expedition, he will lose the checks and balances and will inevitably be attacked by others." Liu Feng's face changed a few times and nodded heavily, "It's a pity that I am incompetent and cannot share your worries for Your Majesty, otherwise I am willing to go."

"I understand Liu's feelings for governor Liu to serve the country and the people, but this is not the time to act with impulse." Zhao Bing saw his annoyed look and hurriedly comforted him.

"There are only two prime ministers in this way, and only His Majesty decides everything!" Ying Jieyan sighed lightly. He knew his position and involved the matters of the two prime ministers, so he was not inconvenient to say more.

"In this way, only let Xiang Wen take charge of the battle!" Zhao Bing thought for a while and said.

"Your Majesty, Wen is decisive in killing each other, but he acts a little recklessly. It seems a bit inappropriate to preside over the Western Expedition!" Liu Fu was silent for a while after hearing this, but he still couldn't help but say.

"Lu Prime Minister is cautious and calm in his work, but he is not the candidate for expanding territory. Moreover, the government is complicated, so I cannot do without him. Our dynasty has lost Sichuan and Shu for more than fifty years, and it is no longer the past. The situation is complicated. You must make a quick decision when encountering things and cannot hesitate. This is the director of Wen Xiang." Zhao Bing said.

"But although the prime minister Wen once opened Jiannan, he was not good at military affairs. Can he deal with the war?" Liu Fu asked another question.

"This time, the imperial court sent troops to Sichuan and Sichuan, and the court sent important officials as commanders. The main purpose is to adhere to the superior intention, grasp the overall situation, coordinate all parties, and make decisions on the spot. Therefore, it only requires planning, not to kill and attack in the face of battle. Those who lead the troops will do the future of fighting and killing." Zhao Bing said.

"Your Majesty's intention is to govern the left prime minister Huguang and Sichuan, and grant him the right to make the right to make the right to do something?" Ying Jieyan asked in a deep voice.

"Of course, since ancient times, the generals have not been able to accept anything outside. The generals will naturally have to grant totalitarian power, otherwise how can they let go!" Zhao Bing nodded and said.

"Your Majesty has always been employed without doubt. When Wen is opposed to the country, he is also sincere to Your Majesty, but he cannot forget the lessons of the past. In the early years of Shaoxing, Emperor Gaozong also trusted Zhang Jun very much, but he failed the holy heart, appointed private people, seized financial power, and formed a situation where he could not lose his power." Liu Fu thought about it and reminded the little emperor in a very obscure way.

"Governor Liu was too worried. Not to mention Zhang Jun's ability or his virtue, I think he could not compare with Wen Xiang. In addition, Sichuan and Shu at that time were also different from Sichuan and Shu at the moment. The Mongols invaded Shu three times, burned, killed and robbed. Although he recovered this year, he was no longer the country of Tianfu in the past. It is very difficult to support himself now. Food and salary still depend on the wealth of Huguang. This is why I have been reluctant to use troops to Sichuan and Shu for a long time." Zhao Bing said with a smile.

"Haha, it turns out that Your Majesty has been prepared for a long time, but I have thought too much." Liu Fu understood after hearing this for a while and said with a wry smile.

The Mongolian Yuan had been struggling for more than 40 years to completely control Sichuan and Sichuan. The population had dropped sharply under the war for many years, with more than ten difficulties. The fields were deserted and the industry was depressed. It was a thousand miles away without chickens and no people. In this case, it was impossible for the Western Army to rely on the local area to supplement food and pay, so everything needed to be supplied from Huguang. In other words, Huguang was stuck in the neck of the Western Army. If he had a strange intention, he would be wiped out as long as he cut the food and pay. Now the Huguang Transportation Envoy was Cai Qiao, who was the confidant of the little emperor. He would take decisive action whenever there was any abnormal movement...

The next day, Zhao Bing summoned Wen Tianxiang to the palace to discuss matters. The two sighed that they had left the palace until the evening. No one knew what they had talked about, but everyone found that Wen Tianxiang was not depressed when he left the palace, but was rather energetic. On the third day, Zhao Bing presided over the meeting of the hall, convened the minister and the head of the ministry and provincial officials to discuss matters. He decided to use Wen Tianxiang as the general envoy of the Huguang Propaganda and the General Office of the Western Army to preside over the war in Sichuan and Sichuan, and granted him the right to act first and then report.

The plan was decided, and Zhao Bing selected a group of troops from the Imperial Front Guards as the personal army of the Xuanfu Department, and then dispatched personnel from various provinces and ministries to form the Xuanfu Department's subordinates. However, in order to prevent the leak, everything was carried out secretly. Wen Tianxiang was an important official in the court, and he could not hide it from the capital, but the war was imminent and he could not stay for a long time. So at the court meeting on the tenth day of the day, Zhao Bing issued an edict to order Wen Tianxiang to inspect the southwest on behalf of the emperor to cover people's ears.

After a lot of preparations, Wen Tianxiang led his men to set off from the Lin'an Waterway before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Of course, he could not leave empty-handed when he went to the office. Not only did he hold two secret decrees in his arms, but he also carried ten thousand taels of gold and millions of banknotes on the ship for military supplies. They left the port and entered the canal, then turned into the Yangtze River, and under the escort of a part of the navy, he rushed up the Yangtze River against the current.

Wen Tianxiang left, but Zhao Bing's heart was hanging. He often stared at the map of the Sichuan and Sichuan region in a daze, often standing for half a day. Due to geographical factors, the upper Sichuan Basin has natural advantages, and the difficulty of Shu road is as difficult as climbing to the blue sky, which also shows the difficulty of entering Sichuan. The western part of the Sichuan Basin is the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with snow-capped mountains and can be regarded as an uninhabited area. The southern part is the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which is a minority settlement area. It was called the Southwest Yi in ancient times. Compared with the Xiongnu and Xianbei in the north, the southwest Yi in the Central Plains, it actually only has the eastern and northern directions.

The northern route is from Hanzhong to Jiange. This route is roughly the same as the current Baocheng Railway. It was first formed by Sima Cuo of Qin's attack on Shu during the Warring States Period. Hanzhong was a barrier to Sichuan. He entered Sichuan first and entered Han Cang. In history, Han Xin secretly visited Chencang and Zhuge Liang's northern expeditions were mostly spread from Hanzhong to Qinling. The passes from Hanzhong to Guanzhong were roughly Ziwu Valley and Qishan, etc. There were different names in different dynasties. The near Baoji in the Song Dynasty was called Dasanguan.

In other words, the North Road was the ancient times when it entered Sichuan from Shaanxi, and there were three main roads. Among them, Taurus Road was the most important road, because it directly leads from Hanzhong to Chengdu, the political and economic center of Sichuan, so it is the most important. The other two roads are also very commonly used, one is the Mi Cang Road and the other is the Litchi Road.

The Jinniu Road is the main road to enter Sichuan. It was jointly developed by King Huiwen of Qin and King Shu during the Warring States Period. The Qin King gave a stone bull that could pull out gold to King Shu. The stone bull was too big and heavy, so both sides built a smooth road to transport it back to Shu. This road was called the "Jinniu Road", and later became the official road between the Sichuan Basin and Hanzhong. The Shu Kingdom built Jiameng Pass (called Jiange Pass in the Han Dynasty) on the Jinniu Road. This pass was surrounded by mountains on three sides and faced water on both sides. The situation was at the same level as Hangu Pass in the Warring States Period and Shanhai Pass in the Ming Dynasty.

Qin State entered Sichuan to destroy Shu Kingdom and Ba Kingdom, and followed the Taurus Road. The Three Kingdoms Zhongshe attacked Shu Han, the Northern Song Dynasty pacified Hou Shu, and the Mongolian attacked the Southern Song Dynasty, and they also followed the Taurus Road. The key to walking the Taurus Road was to use absolute superior forces to attack Jiange Pass. Another important road linking the Sichuan Basin and Hanzhong was the Micang Road, which was named Micang Mountain. The road was full of cliffs and steep mountains where wild animals appeared. No dynasty had dared to put its main force on this endless road.

Later, Cao Cao attacked Zhang Lu, and Zhang Lu had no choice but to escape from the Mikang Road to Bazhong. Zhang He led his army from the Mikang Road to Bazhong, but was blocked by Zhang Fei and returned. By the Southern Song Dynasty, Mengge Khan's main force attacked Jiange Pass from the Jinniu Road, while the Sect King Muge led his side troops to the Mikang Road to Bazhong. Over the thousands of years of history, the Mikang Road had roughly recorded these two movements.

In addition to these two paths, there is another fork in the Taurus Road. The northern section is the same as the Taurus Road. Later, it splits to the west, about 100 miles away from Jiange Pass, which is called Yinping Road. The biggest feature of Yinping Road is to bypass Jiange Pass, but its steepness is even more than the Micang Road. If you accidentally encounter it, the entire army will be wiped out. Only military geniuses like Deng Ai dare to go to this path and successfully destroy Shu Han in one fell swoop.

The east road mainly refers to going up the river, which can advance water and land. It was roughly during the Han Dynasty, when Gongsun Shu occupied Baidi City, this road was widely circulated. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei entered Sichuan and the Battle of Yiling in Wu and Shu can be regarded as advancing along this route. However, this water road is risky and must pass through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. At that time, the Three Gorges were not developed. The two sides of the Yangtze River were full of steep walls, no alluvial plains, and there were no roads. The turbulent river water was unfathomable, and the waterway was like a slender bottleneck. Therefore, it was very difficult to walk through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. You can only rely on a boat to pull a boat and slowly go upstream.

It can also be seen from this that going down the river is much easier than going upstream, and it is also easier to use troops. After the Western Jin Dynasty destroyed Shu Kingdom, General Longxiang Wang Jun led Yizhou naval warships to the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River eastward, and fought to Jianye, the capital of Eastern Wu, and captured Sun Hao, the last emperor of the Eastern Wu. In the key battle of the Sui Dynasty to destroy Chen, Yang Su led the navy fleet through the Cong Three Gorges and defeated the Jingzhou Legion of the Chen Kingdom. In the early Tang Dynasty, Li Jing led his army out of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River to destroy Xiao Xian, who was entrenched in Baling.

If the downstream strength is significantly stronger than the upstream, there is also a case of fighting against the current and taking Sichuan. At the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, General Cen Peng led thousands of warships to pacify Gongsun Shu of Yizhou. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Guangyi counterattacked Kuizhou from Guizhou and succeeded in one fell swoop. Of course, if the external military force is strong and he controls Hanzhong in the northern part of the Sichuan Basin and Yiling in the eastern part of the Sichuan Basin, it is very likely that he will attack from the north and the east. In the early Ming Dynasty, Fu Youde attacked Jiange Pass, Tang He attacked the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, and both armies broke through and resisted with powerful forces and met at the city of Chengdu.

But now Zhao Bing chose to go up two thousand miles to conquer Chongqing. Needless to say, the difficulties along the way could be said to be risking the entire army to be wiped out, which made him unable to sleep or eat...

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